Lions on the palace pier. Lions on the Admiralty Embankment

Two lions on the Admiralty Embankment near the Palace Bridge are the most famous lions of St. Petersburg. They are installed to the right and left of the descent to the Neva. From the moment the city was built, the Admiralty played an important role in its life. Here ships descended on the Neva, and raw materials were supplied through these gates. The sculptures of a lion, made in 1832 in St. Petersburg at the Aleksandrovsky Iron Foundry, are empty inside, and made by chasing from sheet copper. Based on the model of the sculpture of I. P. Prokofiev, they were made by master I. Prang. Cast iron pedestals according to the drawings of the architect L. Charlemagne were cast at the same factory. During the Great Patriotic War, the lions remained in their places. They were practically unharmed. According to one of the legends about St. Petersburg, the place around the Admiralty has an unusual aura, unusual energy, so walking here is good for your health. Perhaps this unusual energy saved the lions from fascist shells during the harsh war years of 1941-1945. However, in 2006, specialists
discovered damage to famous sculptures. The back of the sculpture of the lion closest to the Palace Bridge could not withstand the numerous people who liked to sit on its back and caved in. Experts suggested installing a durable frame inside the sculpture. IN
In 2007, the sculpture of the second lion was restored. When restoring St. Petersburg sculptures, it is very important to carefully treat the surface, because the paint and varnish coating lasts 3-4 years in the St. Petersburg climate. /Sergey Scriabin, Russia, Kaliningrad/

Lion statues were installed on the Palace Pier as decoration in 1832.

Now the pier with lions is located on the Admiralty Embankment near the eastern pavilion of the Admiralty (next to the Palace Bridge). According to local historians and bloggers, these lions are the most famous lions of St. Petersburg.

After the last reconstruction, the pier with lions, located next to the Palace Bridge, forms a single architectural ensemble with its southern descent. The figures of lions are made by chasing from sheet copper; they were made in 1832 at the Alexander Iron Foundry in St. Petersburg. They were made by master I. Prang based on the model of sculptor I. P. Prokofiev. At the same plant, according to the drawings of the architect L. Charlemagne, cast iron pedestals with volutes were cast for the lions.

The Palace Pier is a wide granite staircase leading down to the Bolshaya Neva. At the top of the stairs, rising above the level of the shore, there are granite pedestals of lions. The monotony of the vertical parallelepiped of the pedestal is divided by narrow projections. The staircase descent itself is limited on the sides by a parapet of embankments, which smoothly turns into a pedestal.
The lions stand on cast-iron pedestals, turning their heavy foreheads towards each other. The menacing faces of the animals are unique and expressive - lions are depicted with half-open, grinning mouths and terrible fangs. The strength and dexterity of a predator is indicated by a wide chest, powerful paws and a slender, muscular body with a toned belly. Lions rest on the ball with their front paws with extended curved claws.
The idea of installing lions on the Palace Pier appeared in the first project of Luigi Rusca (1717) and ran like a red thread through all design options. In the fall of 1828, an attempt was made to clarify the issue of decorative lion statues for the pier. All historical documents indicate that installation of an exact replica of the Florentine lions was considered.

After the last reconstruction, the pier with lions, located next to the Palace Bridge, forms a single architectural ensemble with its southern descent. The figures of lions are made by chasing from sheet copper; they were made in 1832 at the Alexander Iron Foundry in St. Petersburg. They were made by the master I. Prang based on the model of the sculptor I. P. Prokofiev. At the same factory, according to the drawings of the architect L. Charlemagne, cast iron pedestals with volutes were cast for the lions.

Description

Lion in symbolism

Leo is called the "King of Beasts". A traditional symbol of power, embodying the power of the sun and fire.

Lion in mythology

In Egyptian mythology, it was a symbol of divine power and royal dignity; among the Assyrians and Greeks, lions were considered companions of goddesses; in early Christian art, the lion alternately symbolized St. Mark, St. Jerome and even Christ himself - as “the lion of the tribe of Judah.”

Lion models

A tripartite correspondence has been preserved between Karl Rossi, the director of the St. Petersburg Alexander Iron Foundry M. E. Clark and the Minister of the Imperial Court P. M. Volkonsky.

First, Rossi asked Clark about the possibility of making such statues, and then, apparently having received an answer, on October 20 he wrote to P. M. Volkonsky:

Report to the Minister of the Imperial Household:

(there are no good craftsmen at the factory, huh)...the perfection of the figures will depend on the art of preparing such models... it would be much better to order famous artists to make these models

In response, the minister invited the sculptor to examine and measure the marble lions of Triscorni, which are located at the entrance to the house of the War Ministry, in order to

The architect followed the minister’s instructions: he examined and even sketched the marble lions, but based on the results of the work, he expressed his categorically negative attitude towards the option imposed on him:

Quote from Carl Rossi:

... these lions, due to their smallness for this purpose, will show disgrace

After this, there was a rather long break in the design of the Palace Pier, the reasons for which remained unknown to historians.

Creation of sculptures

...the sovereign wants to know how much it will cost to cast two lions according to the model available at the plant...

These arguments from Clark moved the matter forward: the copper lions for the Palace Pier were created. They were made by the master I. Prang based on the model of the sculptor I. P. Prokofiev. Cast iron pedestals with volutes were cast for the lions at the same factory according to a drawing by the architect L. Charlemagne.

The Emperor ordered two lions to be made by chasing and four pedestals made of cast iron for the lions and vases

The lions were installed on the Palace Pier as a decoration in September 1832.

Preservation and restoration

The first information about the removal of lions from pedestals dates back to -1914 and is associated with the construction of the Palace Bridge. Historians logically assume that the removed lions were restored.

The preservation of the lions allowed them to continue decorating the Palace Pier while the most damaged monuments went for restoration.

The sculptures were sent to restoration workshops in the early 1950s: first one, and then the other, were sent for restoration and soon again decorated the Palace Pier.

Unscheduled restoration

The copper lion was sent to restoration workshops for urgent repairs. The funds necessary for this were provided to the Russian Party of Life, the project was supervised by the Chairman of the Federation Council, party leader Sergei Mironov.

The removal of the lion for restoration was staged as a theatrical performance. “Doctors”-restorers in white coats examined the sick lion, they bandaged him and loaded him with a crane onto a KAMAZ, draped under an ambulance. On the empty pedestal, the lion was replaced by people dressed as lions.

The restoration lasted about 3 months and cost about 300 thousand rubles.

During the restoration period, the place of the sculpture was first taken by a plastic copy - the “sunny” lion Boniface, painted by the participants of the Youth Eight. Subsequently, this lion was sold at auction for 1.5 million rubles, the money was transferred to the accounts of the Scientific and Practical Center for Assistance to HIV-Infected Children and Pregnant Women.

Later, on the pedestal there was a figure of a lion, assembled from balloons.

In 2007, a second sculpture was renovated as part of the same initiative. The restoration cost 262 thousand rubles and was completed by September 2007. A flat copy of a lion was placed on the pedestal.

Restoration work

Coating restoration technology includes clearing, priming and restoration itself. A feature of restoration work in St. Petersburg is that it is very important to treat sculptures with high quality, since the paint coating in our environment lasts no more than three to four years. During the work, traces of previous restoration work were revealed - many layers of paint were found on the sculptures. In addition, after cleaning the lion figures there were many holes and dents.

In addition to the complex of restoration work, the structure was strengthened with an internal tubular frame. Holes were cut into the shells of the hollow sculptures and brass tubes were installed.

The restorers are convinced of the strength of the created structure:

Now the sculptures will be difficult to break, of course, unless you hit them with a 10-kilogram sledgehammer!

The restoration team consisted of four people, and the same number participated in the dismantling. The work took about a month.

Lions in art

The very location of the lions, on the ceremonial Palace pier, surrounded by the buildings of the Admiralty and the Winter Palace, facing the Neva, led to the attention of artists.

On the Neva embankment opposite the eastern wing of the Admiralty, crowned with a slender golden spire with a boat, there is a granite Palace pier, decorated with two copper statues of guard lions with a front paw on a ball.

The lions stand, turning their heavy foreheads towards each other, on the upper ledges of a wide granite staircase descending to the water itself. Their menacing muzzles with half-open, grinning mouths and terrible fangs are unique and expressive. A wide chest, powerful paws and a slender, muscular body with a toned belly speak of the strength and dexterity of a predator. With their front paw and curved claws extended, lions rest on the ball.

These are perhaps the most popular guard lions in St. Petersburg. Finely minted from sheet copper, the regal and majestic statues of formidable animals are clearly visible from everywhere, and their profiles are clearly drawn against the background of the dark gray surface of the Neva and the pale blue of the clear sky.

Lions on Kronverksky Avenue

In St. Petersburg there are lions not only made of marble, copper and cast iron. These beauties were cast in 1915 from concrete with the addition of granite chips. They are located on the Petrogradskaya side, in the courtyard of house 5 on Kronverksky Prospekt.

These lions lurked in a quiet courtyard not far from Kshesinskaya’s mansion. The courtyard is small and quiet, and even those who have lived on Petrogradskaya all their lives usually do not know about this pair of statues.

Saint Petersburg

All paths lead...to the Palace Pier! Yes, yes, but how could it be otherwise? After all, it is here that one of the most famous and mysterious lion pairs of northern Palmyra is located, enjoying the constant popularity of guests of the city on the Neva and the well-deserved love of native St. Petersburg residents. Unlike many representatives of the lion family of the city of Peter the Great, these guard lions were destined to go down in history and be immortalized not only by word, but also by brush. It was their royal sculptures that were captured on their canvases “Palace Pier” and “View of the Neva from the Winter Palace” by famous 19th-century artists V. Sadovnikov and A. Beggrov. The 20th century was no exception, revealing to the world A. Ostroumova-Lebedev, whose illustrations to A. Pushkin’s poem “The Bronze Horseman” still excite the minds of readers, and S. Khadzhibaronov, whose “Lion at the Palace Bridge” became another evidence of considerable popularity of crowned copper sculptures.

Louis Franz Karl - Neva embankment at the western facade of the Winter Palace

The history of their appearance is full of mysterious coincidences and such twists and turns of events that they were just right to be investigated by the Secret Police of His Imperial Majesty. Without claiming to be the daily bread of the main detectives of the empire, we will still take the liberty of lifting the veil of secrecy and telling the reader some of the features of the construction of the Palace Pier and its famous lions.

When designing a pier-staircase between the Admiralty building and the Winter Palace, the court architect L. Ruska planned to decorate the descent to the Neva with graceful female figures accompanied by reclining lions. However, the project was not approved by the top officials. For mercy, Mr. Ruska, but no women! And if there are lions, then they are guard lions, and not peacefully snoring to the sound of waves crashing against the granite stronghold. After all, after the destruction of fortifications around the Admiralty, the shipbuilding center of St. Petersburg, and even located not far from the royal residence, must be protected like the apple of one’s eye!

Guard lions appeared in the decorative design project for the Palace Pier, which belonged to the architect K. Rossi, a landmark for the history of St. Petersburg, who proposed using several sculptural groups in the design: horses with watermen for the upper ledges of the descent and lions resting on a ball (a familiar silhouette, isn’t it? ), - for the lower ones. The project was approved, but... The “Horse with Driver” model created by V. Demuth-Malinovsky was far from being so successful. In return, a proposal was made to install equestrian groups on the pier, similar to the works of the French sculptor G. Coustou that decorated the Champs-Elysees. A corresponding request was sent to Paris and even a response was received, but a preliminary calculation of the cost of casting these gigantic statues nullified all the efforts of the architect. 32 thousand rubles per group - this is the figure that put an end to the brilliant idea of designing a pier at the Admiralty.

What to do? How to be? After cross-correspondence between the architect K. Rossi, responsible for the construction and decoration of the Palace Pier, the director of the Alexander Iron Foundry M. Clark, responsible for casting the formidable guard lions, and the Minister of the Imperial Court, His Serene Highness Prince P. Volkonsky, responsible for everyone and everything, a decision was made make lions by blowing or chasing from sheet copper. Just three months later, the guard lions of the Palace Pier began their service, walking on cast iron pedestals with volutes, cast according to the design of the architect I. Charlemagne. The authorship of the copper guards belongs to... And, strictly speaking, to whom? It is with this question that the intricate story of the famous lion couple begins, whose traces lead to Peterhof.

Many guides, guiding gullible tourists along the granite banks of the Neva and demonstrating powerful figures rearing on pedestals with clawed paws digging into a massive ball, confidently name the sculptor I. Prokofiev as the author of the magnificent, lush-maned royal animals. But is this really so?

With all due respect to Ivan Prokofievich, we will have to object to the master’s personal participation in the design of the Palace Pier. For one of the most famous artists of Russia of the 19th century passed away already in February 1828, and the question of the appearance of lions became on the agenda only in the fall. And there is no need to talk about the fact that the final decision on their casting was made only 4 years later - in 1832. An inquisitive reader may assume that the lions were conceived by the sculptor a little earlier. But the last creation of Professor I. Prokofiev dates back to 1822, after which he did not work due to the paralysis of the right side of the body that befell him due to a severe apoplexy.

So where did the claim about the authorship of the stunning lions of the Palace Pier come from? In the stories of the guides, the name of the sculptor I. Prokofiev, the similarity of the lions of the Palace Pier with the lions of the Florentine Piazzadellasignoria and the statement that the guard pair was cast according to models already available at the Alexander Iron Foundry are surprisingly intertwined. At the same time, few people think that the facts presented are somewhat contradictory to each other.

To clarify, we will have to return the reader to the correspondence between the architect C. Rossi, the director of the iron foundry M. Clark and Prince P. Volkonsky. One head it's good, but two better. So, apparently, C. Rossi and P. Volkonsky thought when they decided to install a guard pair on the pier, the prototype of which was the lions made by the Triscorni family that lived in St. Petersburg at the War Ministry, reminiscent of those same notorious Florentines from Piazzadellasignoria.

But M. Clark debunked the “Napoleonic plans”, notifying that due to the change in the size of the lions, it is necessary to make new plaster models for them, which will lead to a significant increase in the cost of the project. At the same time, the factory has models of such lions, but several smaller ones. So maybe the ministry will make a decision in favor of the existing ones? And the ministry accepted it, despite all the objections of K. Rossi, who argued that the size was not impressive. The objections were not heeded, since previously the lions of the Elagin Palace, the Russian Museum, the palace in Strelna and the Arakcheevsky estate in the village of Gruzino were cast using the same molds, and neither the crowned family nor its entourage had previously shown any dissatisfaction with the size of the guards.

But what does I. Prokofiev have to do with it, if all these lions are copies of a pair installed in one of the most beautiful squares in Florence?! Our dear reader will probably ask. The fact is that all representatives of the “Lion Guard” of His Imperial Majesty, starting from the lions of the Elagin Palace and ending with the lions of the Palace Pier, were cast in the mold of the gilded bronze lions of the Lion Cascade of Peterhof, the authorship of which was attributed by some sources to Professor I. Prokofiev.

It is very interesting that at the same time, all the same sources in the materials on the construction and decorative design of the Mikhailovsky and Elagin palaces successfully forget about the sculptor’s surname and state the fact of copying the Florentine lions. Presumably, the conclusion about the authorship of the professor of the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts was made on the basis of data from a report on the work carried out for Peterhof in the Academy’s journal, which mentioned the delivery of lion forms and triton forms by I. Prokofiev from the foundry.

However, in our understanding, Ivan Prokofievich “fell victim” to the documentary confusion. Already in the next report of the Academy it is clearly indicated that the professor worked only on newts, while in relation to lions, instead of the author, only the total number of plaster forms is indicated - 15 boxes. By an amazing coincidence, just 15 boxes of plaster molds of Florentine lions from Piazzadellasignoria arrived at the Academy of Arts shortly before these events. Together with the forms of the statues of Hercules and Flora, who also went to the Lion Cascade. Are such coincidences accidental?.. Moreover, even the biographers of I. Prokofiev do not include the lions of the Lion Cascade in the creative heritage of the sculptor (and, to put it mildly, there is something to be proud of!).

Summing up the results of our, we hope, not too tedious investigation, we can only conclude that I. Prokofiev owned countless unsurpassed beauty bas-reliefs and sculptures, but this wonderful master hardly had a hand in the lions of the Palace Pier.

If the dear reader, after reading this short excursion into the history of the guard lions of St. Petersburg, wants to have the same formidable pair in his home, the ArtMart stone-cutting workshop will help make his desire come true. And introducing the new inhabitants of the house to the amazed guests, one will be able to say: “This is such a confusing story...”.